Pathological examintion of thyroid glands obtained at 1.000 autopsies consecutively performed between the years 1955 and 1970 has been carried out: 40 patients in which the primary cause of dealth was thyroid carcinoma were not included. Thyroid nodules were found in 290. 30 per cent of 960 glands. Nodules were macroscopically evident en 275: in 15 lacking adequate macroscopic description the diagnosis of nodularity was made histologically 57, 21 per cent of the macroscopically visible nodules were single and 218, 74 per cent were multiple. Other important findings included 3 cases of occult papillary carcinoma and 26 metastatic invasion of the thyroid gland, mainly from breast carcinomas, lymphomas and squamous cell tumors of the pharynx, larynx and esophagus.